Minerva's Past

[Mrs Edward Cullen]

Summery: Minerva and Albus are happily Married with a baby on the way. But Minerva's happy world comes crashing down when she get s avisit from someone she wishes were dead. Can she save her new happy life or will she fall into a world of darkness? this is co written w/ ladybug21

Minerva's Past Chapter 1

Minerva couldn't help but wonder what Poppy could want as she made her way to the Infirmery. She had gotten a letter from Poppy eariler that day asking her to stop by. As she reached the door of the Infirmery, Minerva realized what this visit must be about. Her guess was that albus had told Poppy of her case of what she tought was food poisoning. It made her smile to think about how much her husband cared about her.

That happiness only lasted a few moments, for as soon as she stepped in Poppy started to fuss over her.

"Is this going to take long, Poppy? I do have papers to mark."

"It will take as long as it takes, Min. Now go lie down so that I can do some tests."

Minerva sat on the edge of her chair, tapping her foot anxiously as Poppy pulled a scroll of parchment and read it, her brow furrowed. Minerva had just spent the last quarter hour being subjected to various potions and spells, and was ready to get back to her marking. Finally, Poppy looked up at her, a slightly bemused expression on her face.

"Congratulations, Minerva," she said with a faint smile.

Minerva blinked. "What on earth do you mean?"

"What on earth do I mean, Min, honestly," snorted Poppy, handing Minerva the scroll of parchment. "You're pregnant."

Minerva stared at her, then looked down at the scroll of parchment. Her mind seemed to have gone blank.

"," she finally muttered under her breath.

Poppy was smirking slightly at her. "Do I even want to know how this all came about?"

"I don't think it's any of your business, Poppy," snapped Minerva, tossing the parchment into the wastepaper basket and standing up. She cleared her throat. "So, er, how far along am I?"

"About three months," replied Poppy nonchalantly, straightening out the potions on her desk. "All that vomiting - morning sickness."

Aha. So it had been Albus who had tipped her off.

"What am I supposed to do?" Minerva asked.

Poppy shrugged. "Keep eating right, try to avoid flying and Floo powder, don't do anything stupid."

"Right," muttered Minerva, flustered. "Well, if that's all, I... I think I should be going." She started for the door.

"I assume I should give Albus my congratulations the next time I see him?" called Poppy after her, smirking more than ever.

Minerva stopped in the doorway and turned.

"Yes, I suppose you should," she said shortly.

[Mrs Edward Cullen]

So here is the second chapter. Ladybug21 and i hope that you like it. let us know what you think.

Minerva’s Past Chapter 2

Albus sighed as he read yet another owl from Cornelius Fudge, this one begging advice as to the best way to standardize cauldron bottoms. It wasn't that Albus minded giving Fudge his opinion - he just was always amazed at Fudge's seeming inability to make any decisions himself. Albus reached for his pen, scrawled an answer across a piece of parchment in neat handwriting, and tied it to the leg of a large brown barn owl that sat on his desk, blinking at him with its huge eyes.

Albus frowned slightly as he watched the owl take flight through the window of his office, and he leaned against the window sill for a moment, lost in thought. He did hope that Minerva was not too ill - he knew that he could take over the Transfiguration curriculum for a few months, but really, if Fudge was going to insist on pestering him with so many owls, Albus wasn't
sure how he was going to manage marking all of the essays Minerva assigned her classes. It was a bit odd, he thought, that Minerva seemed to be fine all day long... it was only early in the morning that she acted at all sick. Perhaps he would have to take a trip down to the kitchens and question the house-elves
as to their cooking practices...

The door to Albus's office flew open without warning, and he turned around quickly.

"Ah, Minerva," he said, his blue eyes twinkling. "As much as you know I love you, would it be detrimental to your health to knock before you storm into my office?"

"Albus," said Minerva, showing no sign of amusement, "we need to talk." Albus raised an eyebrow.

"I assume you went to see Poppy?"

"Yes," said Minerva shortly. "You might want to sit down for this."

Albus lowered himself slowly into his chair, not taking his eyes off of his wife. She did not seem at all ill at the moment - on the
contrary, she seemed more agitated than anything else. Nonetheless, he glanced to make sure he had a quill and parchment on hand, in case she started barking instructions as to how to run her class while she ran off to some exotic climate for her health.

"Well?" he asked, folding his hands as Minerva took a seat across from his desk. "I'm hoping you're not going to say that you're going on sick leave?"

Minerva shook her head, her lips pressed together tightly. Albus frowned - something was obviously causing her great distress.

"Minerva, dear," he said softly, leaning forward, "is everything all right?"

Minerva took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'm pregnant, Albus," she said in a voice devoid of emotion.

There was an absolute silence in the Headmaster's Office for a moment, broken only by the soft coo of Fawkes as he slept on his perch. Then Albus let out a deep sigh, his face breaking into a smile.

"Oh, Minerva," he laughed, walking around his desk and hugging her. "You could look a little happier, you know."

Minerva smiled weakly, and then burst into tears.

"Minerva, what's wrong?" asked Albus, flabbergasted.

"I just never was expecting this," she sobbed into his shoulder. "I'm so happy, but at the same time... I mean, you're always saying that You-Know-Who is sure to return to power within the next few years, and I just can't help but worry about everything. It feels like the world is getting too dangerous, and it's not the sort of world I want to bring a child into."

Albus kissed her and let her weep a bit longer.

"Don't worry," he said quietly. "You know I would rather die than see anything happen to you, and the same goes for our child. Please, Minerva, try to be happy about this. Don't let fear destroy your ability to live."

Minerva sniffed, and forced herself to calm down. Then, suddenly, she started to giggle.

"Oh, I can't wait to see how all the students react to this," she said mischievously. "How scandalous."

Albus couldn't help it. He laughed too.

[Mrs Edward Cullen]

Minerva’s Past Chapter 3

Minerva watched from her usual chair at the staff table as the Great Hall filled up with students. Breakfast at Hogwarts was usually a fairly normal affair, with owls swooping in through windows at random to deliver letters as students gossiped and ate their way through platters of delicious sausages
and bacon. Minerva sighed and shuffled a pile of eggs around her plate. She knew she should eat something, but she honestly felt that if she tried to, she would just get sick.

"Feeling alright?" muttered Albus as he sat down next to her.

Minerva nodded. "I'm just not hungry. I'll eat something later."

Albus smiled understandingly and squeezed her hand before loading his own plate with food.

"Morning, Minerva," said Pomona, sitting down next to her friend. She frowned. "Minerva, stop playing with your food, aren't you actually going to eat any of it?"

"Oh, I don't think so," said Poppy, sitting down with a smirk.

Pomona raised her eyebrows.

"Poppy, if you say you've put Minerva on a diet, I'm going to have to have a word with you later. Just look at her, she's skin and bones as it is..."

"If she hasn't told you what's going on, then by Merlin, I'm not going to," said Poppy breezily.

"What's this?" said Rolanda curiously, who had caught a snippet of the conversation as she passed by and stopped to join in. "Does our dear Transfiguration professor have an eating disorder? Might want to try what the Muggles call 'therapy,' Minerva, I've heard it really does help with psychological disorders more than even potions would..."

"I'm fine!" snapped Minerva, who was beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic with all of her colleagues clustered around her. "Now if you all wouldn't mind backing up so I have a bit of room to breathe..."

"I'd do what she says," sneered the voice of Severus Snape. "She sounds a bit more on the edge than usual, if that's even possible."

"Oh, believe me, it's possible," snarled Minerva under her breath.

"We're just concerned about you, you know," said Pomona in a hurt voice as the others dispersed and made their way to their own seats.

Minerva sniffed and turned to Albus.

"I'm going to go back to bed until my first class," she muttered. "I'm getting a headache from all this."

Albus put a restraining hand on her wrist to keep her at the table.

"Very well, but before you do, I think I need to address the school." He rose to his feet, and the hall fell silent.

"Everyone, I have a very important announcement to make. I suggest you all congratulate me. My wife and I are going to have our first child."

One could have heard a pin drop, it was so quiet. Everyone except Poppy sat in their seats wondering if this was a joke. All of a sudden, the whole room was laughing, convinced that this was all a joke.

"This is not a joke. At this time, I would like to ask my wife to come stand beside me so that you can congratulate her as well. Minerva, will you please join me?"

Again the whole room fell silent as Minerva rose to her feet.

"Minerva and I have been married for quite some time now. We had to keep it a secret because of all of my enemies. Now that almost all of them have been destroyed, we can tell the whole world."

Right then, Albus kissed Minerva. This kiss was not the usual peck on the cheek; it was a kiss full of passion. This would have turned into a full-on snog session unless someone did something. Albus and Minerva stopped when they heard loud clapping all around them. The whole Great Hall, even the
Slytherins, were clapping, cheering and yelling out congrats. Minerva then thought she had no cause to worry.

Boy was she wrong.

[Mrs Edward Cullen]

Chapter 4

Rain spattered the windows of the Headmaster’s Office one blustery day in mid-autumn. Inside, a fire was crackling merrily in the hearth. Albus sipped a bit of tea, placed his cup carefully on its saucer, and scribbled another line onto a letter as Minerva watched on, sipping her own tea. It was days like these that she felt the happiest – sitting safe and warm inside with her husband, not caring if the winds howled outside.

A sharp tapping on the window made Minerva turn around quickly. A bedraggled owl, its feathers dripping, was frantically trying not to get blown away by the wind and rain. In its beak was a soggy letter.

“I’ll get it,” said Minerva quickly, and, before Albus could object,
she pushed herself out of her chair and opened the window. The owl landed on the carpet with a muffled thump and hooted miserably. At a cooed invitation from Fawkes, the owl hopped over to take a few sips of the phoenix’s water before preening its feathers back into place and swooping once more out of the
window.

Minerva, meanwhile, had opened the letter and was skimming it with a slight frown. Albus smiled to himself; it had never taken much to provoke Minerva to irritation, but she had only grown more and more moody over the past five months.

He was about to ask Minerva what exactly was irking her so, when suddenly Minerva’s eyes widened, and, with a gasp, she collapsed to the floor, her teacup breaking into shards with a loud crash.

“Minerva!” said Albus worriedly, rushing to her side. Minerva’s eyes fluttered and she sat up with a slight shudder. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” said Minerva, glancing at the letter and shuddering again. “It’s nothing.”

Albus was extremely unconvinced. Giving Minerva a searching glance, he took a handful of green powder from the pot on his mantelpiece and tossed it into the flames of the fire.

“Oh, Albus, don’t be ridiculous, I feel fine now,’ snapped Minerva,
about to rise to her feet, but Albus had already stepped into the flames and shouted, “Hospital Wing.” Minerva sighed and began to pick up the shards of her broken cup, not at all surprised to see Albus reemerge from the fireplace with Poppy moments later.

“Minerva McGonagall! What on earth do you think you’re doing?” snapped Poppy, seizing Minerva by one arm and hauling her to her feet.

“Cleaning up this mess, what does it look like I’m doing?” retorted Minerva, wresting her arm from Poppy’s grasp.

“No, you’re not!” shouted Poppy, steering Minerva towards the bedroom. “To bed with you this instant, Minerva, and don’t you even think about arguing with me! I need to run some tests, and if you really don’t want to lose this baby, you’ll do exactly as I say!”

Minerva sighed in exasperation, but allowed herself to be forced into bed by her friend. Albus waited patiently at his desk until Poppy finally came out of the bedroom and sat down across from him.

“Well?” asked Albus, attempting to act as optimistic as he normally did, and failing.

“The baby’s fine,” sighed Poppy, rubbing her eyes. “I gave Minerva a sleeping drought – she’ll be asleep until next morning. But, Albus?”

The Headmaster folded his hands and gave Poppy a slight nod to let her know he was listening closely.

“You’ve got to find a way to make Minerva stop doing dangerous things.” Poppy smiled slightly at the look that appeared on Albus’s face. “Yes, I realize it’s not really her personality to just sit back and let things be done for her, but if she doesn’t start acting more responsibly, the baby may not survive the stress. Thank heavens this was fairly minor, we can’t afford another accident, like last time…”

Albus closed his eyes and nodded, thinking back on what had happened…

FLASHBACK

He had been at the Ministry that day, and everything he knew was based on what Poppy and Rolanda had told him. Apparently, Minerva had received a stack of books down in the staffroom that morning, and needed to get them up to her room. Any other day she would have simply levitated them and transported them
to her room with magic, but only that morning Rolanda had been lecturing her on the importance of not overtaxing herself.

“Really, Minerva, you work too hard, and you simply have to slow yourself down,” Rolanda was saying as they prepared to leave the staffroom. “You’re more fragile than you realize.”

“Am I?” snorted Minerva. “The last time I checked, I wasn’t a
porcelain doll, Rolanda. I think I know my own limits, thank you very much.”

“I’m only trying to help, Min,” sighed Rolanda. “You can be a bit
reckless sometimes…”

“I do believe I can withstand a bit more than you think I can, Rolanda,” said Minerva angrily. And before the flying instructor could object, Minerva had swept the stack of books off the table and was carrying them out the door.

“Minerva, levitate those books right now!” shrieked Rolanda. “By
Merlin, you know that Albus would kill me if he knew I was letting you carry those without magic…”

Minerva ignored her, and started up the stairs towards her classroom. The next moment, the books toppled out of her hands as she felt a sharp pain in her side and let out a cry. Rolanda rushed up the stairs as, at the exact same instant, Nearly Headless Nick glided serenely around the corner, and Minerva fainted.

“Good heavens, Rolanda,” said the ghost, alarmed. “What exactly is going on here?”

“Nick, go get Poppy,” said Rolanda in what she hoped was a calm voice that disguised her panic. “Tell her it’s urgent. And tell her to contact Albus as well – he’s at the Ministry today, but Minerva needs him right now.”

“Certainly,” said Nick, and off he went, gliding through the walls at a slightly more rapid pace than usual.

By the time Albus had arrived back at Hogwarts and rushed back to the Hospital Wing, Minerva had regained consciousness and was being lectured by Rolanda and an irate Poppy.

“You have to stop this, Minerva, can’t you see what you’re doing to yourself?!” cried Poppy in mixed anger and anxiety.

“Minerva, what has happened?” asked Albus quickly, striding into the Hospital Wing and fixing Minerva with a concerned look.

“Are you going to tell him, Min?” asked Poppy angrily. “Because if you aren’t going to, then I most certainly will, you have no right to keep mum on this in front of Albus…”

Minerva glared at Poppy, but did not say a word.

“Fine, then,” snapped Poppy, turning towards Albus with her arms crossed. “Minerva decided to prove how tough she is today by carrying a load of books up a flight of stairs Muggle-style, and nearly lost the baby as the result.”

Albus closed his eyes. “Minerva, is this true?”

Minerva looked down at the bedspread, and nodded ever so slightly.

“How could you be so senseless, Minerva?!” The anger in his voice exploded out of Albus before he could check it. “Do you know what this could do to your health, as well as to the baby’s? You have to stop being so reckless, you have to accept that right now you can’t do everything you used to be able to do, and the sooner you start taking responsibility for more than just yourself, the better off everyone will be.”

Minerva shut her eyes, willing the hot tears burning behind them not to leak out. More than anything, she wanted to escape, to be alone for just a few moments, and there was only one way she would be able to escape the Hospital Wing without everyone trying to force her back into bed.

With a loud crack, the Transfiguration professor disappeared, and before anyone could do anything, a tabby cat with spectacle markings around its eyes had leapt from the bed, woven its way through the legs of the other humans, and streaked out the door.

“Now look what you’ve done, Albus!” shouted Poppy, pounding the pillows on the bed with her fists in frustration. “You’ve only upset her more!”

“Oh, Merlin… Minerva, come back!” shouted Rolanda out the door.
“Where on earth did she go?”

“I think I know,” sighed Albus heavily, already regretting having raised his voice. “Give me a few minutes, I’ll be back with her soon…”

Just as Albus had expected, Minerva was in the garden, sitting amongst the flowers in her human body once again. Carefully making his way around the beds of roses and daisies, Albus sat down on the bench next to her and put an arm comfortingly around her shoulders.

“Minerva, you know I didn’t mean to say all that so harshly,” he said softly. Minerva sniffed in reply, quiet sobs shaking her whole body. “I’m so sorry for what I said. Is that why you ran away?”

Minerva gave a half-hearted shrug and took a slow, gasping breath.

“Everything you said up there in the Hospital Wing was true, Albus,” she sniffed. “About me being too reckless, and not wanting to be responsible for anyone but myself.” She laughed a short, miserable laugh. “Merlin, look at me – only two and a half months into this whole parenting business, and I’m already doing a horrible job at it.”

Albus wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

“You’ll be fine,” he said softly into her hair. “No one really knows
what parenting is about until they have to do it themselves. You’ll be a great mother, Minerva, if the way you care about your students is any indication. I can feel it. And, between you and me, I may not be a Seer, but I tend to be pretty accurate when it comes to reading personalities.”

Minerva’s sobs lessened a bit, and the two of them sat there until she had calmed down completely. Finally, she gently pulled away, and let Albus wipe her tears away with his thumb.

“Well, dare I ask what sort of horrible punishment Poppy has in mind for me?” she sighed, smiling weakly.

Albus rose to his feet, relieved to see Minerva acting more like her normal self. “Bed rest for a whole two weeks,” he replied, anticipating the groan that Minerva let out.

“Two whole weeks?” Minerva kicked at a pebble on the ground, scowling. “What about my classes?”

“I suppose I will have to take over for you,” sighed Albus. Secretly, he rather enjoyed the idea of getting back into the classroom – being the Headmaster was fine, but he did miss teaching.

“Well, at least I’ll know they’ll be in good hands,” said Minerva,
smiling up at her former Transfiguration teacher, who helped her to her feet and kissed her before leading her back up to the castle.

END FLASHBACK

“Albus?”

Albus tore his eyes away from his teacup, and looked back up at Poppy.

“Yes, I’m sorry, Poppy… I got a bit lost in my thoughts, I suppose,” he said apologetically, making a mental note to add a few more memories to the Pensive later.

“I have to leave, but do try to find out what made her so distressed, will you? Any preventative measures we can take…”

“Yes, I will. Thank you, Poppy. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at
breakfast.” Poppy nodded and quietly left the room.

Albus sat watching the flames for some time, and then got up and picked up the letter on the ground. It had resealed itself, and, try as he might, Albus could not find any way to reopen it. Figuring it was enchanted to respond only to Minerva’s touch, he decided to ask her about it in the morning.

However, when Albus entered the bedroom, Minerva was already stirring. Albus sat down on the edge of the bed and covered her hand with his.

“Minerva?” he asked gently.

Minerva opened one eye sleepily and yawned. “Poppy apparently is either a liar, or else horrible at measuring out sleeping potions – she assured me I would be asleep until morning at the earliest.”

“You had us all quite worried,” said Albus reasonably. “Poppy is
allowed to make mistakes sometimes, and I’m sure that seeing her best friend in such a state would be quite enough to put her into a distressed state.”

Minerva yawned again, and looked as though she was about to fall back asleep. Albus squeezed her hand to wake her up again, and she sat up in the bed.

“Minerva, dear, I’m sorry to have to ask you this, but what was it in that letter that made you so agitated?”

A shadow crossed over Minerva’s face. “My father,” she said darkly. “He says he’s planning to come for a visit.”

“Your father?” asked Albus, surprised. “I didn’t even know that your father was still alive. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention him before.”

“We don’t talk much,” said Minerva shortly.

“Hmm. Well, perhaps this visit will give you some much-needed bonding time, during which you’ll be able to catch up with each other…”

“I don’t think so,” said Minerva with a humorless laugh.

“No? Not even with the baby on its way? Surely he’d be pleased to hear about us and the baby…”

“No.” Minerva had started crying again. “No, Albus, my father can’t know anything about the baby.”

“Why not?” Albus was alarmed to see Minerva reacting in this way. “Minerva, dear, what’s wrong?”

“Albus, you have to understand something about my father,” Minerva wept. “He’s a cruel man. He doesn’t love me. He used to get drunk, and then come home and beat me. Just imagine what he might do if he finds out I am expecting…”

[Mrs Edward Cullen]

Minerva's Past Chapter 5

Albus couldn't believe what he had just heard. How could anyone harm someone as sweet as his Minerva? It pained him to see his darling in tears. So he did the one thing he could do; he gathered her in his arms and held her.

"Minerva, I love you, and I love our unborn child. I will do everything I can to protect you and our baby."

This made Minerva look into her husbands’ bright blue eyes. It pained Albus to see her eyes all red and swollen. He silently started to curse Minerva's father.

"I love you so much, Minerva."

"I love you too, Albus."

Then he captured her lips with his and gave her a kiss full of passion.

"Minerva, I have an idea. We are going to use a concealment charm on you. If this mess was happening next month, a concealment charm would not have worked. Let us be thankful that your father decided to visit this month."

"Albus, as good of an idea that is, what about the students and staff? They all already know that that I am expecting. Won't they get suspicious when I am no longer as large as a hippogriff?"

"Oh Minerva you are exaggerating, but I see your point. We will just have to do a very large memory-loss spell. Poppy excluded, of course, for we will need her help with the baby."

"Oh, Albus, you think of everything. And I am so glad that you do."

"So, my dear, when is your father coming?"

"Um... in three days, according to the letter."

"Wow. Three days - that is not much time. So, how about I do the memory charm on everyone tonight at dinner?"

"Albus, don't you mean that WE will do the memory charm tonight at dinner?"

"No, Minerva, I mean I. You are in no condition to do magic that large."

He could see the redness rising to her cheeks. If he didn't say something, she was going to yell, and he couldn't risk that. If she lost her temper, she might also lose the baby.

"Now, before you get all upset, Minerva dear, allow me to explain myself. Poppy said that you are to relax, with as little stress as possible. Otherwise you might lose the baby and harm yourself. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you or the baby. So therefore, no buts, Minerva you are not helping with the charm tonight."

"OK, Albus. I will not help with the charm. But please ask Poppy or even Flitwik to help you. It is too much magic for one person to do."

"Deal. I will ask them both to help me. Then I will put Filius under the charm. Now, Mrs. Dumbledore shall we go to dinner?"

“Yes Mr. Dumbledore I believe now is an excellent time to depart for dinner.”

With that, the couple went down to the Great Hall together. Holding hands and laughing the whole way.

[Mrs Edward Cullen]

Minerva's Past Chapter 6

Three days later, Minerva sat down at her desk and put her head in her hands. This was the day she had been dreading ever since the fateful letter had arrived. This was the day her father was supposed to arrive. Minerva was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even hear the door to her office open. Albus decided to take this opportunity to surprise his wife. He snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Minerva jumped as soon as she felt his touch.

"Albus, what are you doing? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"No, my dear, I just wanted to surprise you that is all."

"Oh Albus, I am sorry. You just startled me a little."

"Are you OK, Minerva? You seem really tense."

"Oh Albus, I don't know what to do. Today is the day that that evil, despicable, vile, app..."

The rest of her words were cut off by Albus pressing his lips to hers. Once Minerva got over the shock she deepened the kiss. They would have gone on like this forever, but they heard someone clear their throat behind them. When they pulled away, they saw Jove McGonagall standing in the doorway.

"Minerva!" shouted her father, storming into the room and tearing off his traveling cloak. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Albus calmly broke off the kiss and stepped back, regarding his father-in-law (who was probably around Albus's age) with a serene, welcoming smile.

"Mr. McGonagall," he said pleasantly. "Wonderful to see you again. I think we've met once before, back when Minerva was in school? You came to discuss the closing of the school with my predecessor, Armando Dippet, when the Chamber of Secrets was opened, didn't you?

"Jove glowered. "Yes, I did," he snarled. "And it would have been a damn good thing if they had shut the bloody heap down, basilisks slithering every which way and what not." Without warning, he started forward until he was face-to-face with Albus. "What the hell were you doing kissing my daughter?" he growled in a low, menacing voice, pulling his wand slowly from his robes as he did so.

"Minerva?" Albus raised his eyebrow. "You mean my wife?"

Jove stared at Albus for a moment, his snarls cut off by sheer surprise. Then he turned to stare suspiciously at Minerva, who was seated with her hands folded in her lap. She seemed to find the coffee mug on her desk to be fascinating, as she hadn't once looked up since her father had entered the room.

"What's this?" whispered Jove, his cheeks growing red. "This is your husband?! Minerva! Answer me!"

Minerva said nothing, but nodded once, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Outrageous!" hissed Jove, turning more and more purple by the minute as his voice increased. "My own daughter, married to a man old enough to be her father, and without even so much as asking for my consent! How dare you!"

"Now, sir, I think it might be wise if you calmed down some what," said Albus, a hint of warning creeping into his voice.

"Calmed down? Bah!" Jove smashed his hand onto the desk, making the coffee mug jump and fall with a ceramic shudder. Minerva flinched, but did not look up. "I don't care how famous you are - you have NO RIGHT to do so much as TOUCH my daughter! And get your hand off me," he snapped, rudely shrugging off the restraining hand Albus had laid on his shoulder. "You're no son-in-law of mine! I'll see this marriage annulled if it's the last thing I do!"

"Mr. McGonagall, I must remind you that we are no longer living in the Middle Ages," said Albus calmly, his blue eyes flashing. "Minerva is not entitled by any means to ask for your consent before marrying..."

"Oh, but of course, she's not entitled by any means to ask for your consent before marrying," mimicked Jove in a tinny voice. He bent across the desk, trying to meet Minerva's eyes. "Minerva, goddamn it, look at me! How many other little secrets are you hiding? Embezzlement? Prostitution? Illegitimate bastards from unlawful unions with the other intellectual scum at this school, you harlot."

"Father, I..." began Minerva, raising her head for the first time. Her face was very white and she looked very much as though she was about to scream or about to cry.

"Shut up, you little slut shouted Jove, banging his fist on the table again."Ruining the family's honor and all - how could you, after all your mother and I did to ensure you had the best pureblood upbringing we could afford! I'll kill you, I will..."

But before Jove could even raise his wand, he found another wand pointed directly between his eyes.

"That, I'm sure, is quite enough," said Albus in a deadly voice. His eyes were flashing, and he was surrounded by the powerful aura of anger that Minerva had seen only once or twice before in her whole life. "As you are part of my family, I cannot turn you out of the castle, but I must ask you to leave this office. Now!"

Jove, panting hard, glared at Albus, but dared not retort with the wand of the most powerful wizard in the world pointed between his eyes. Muttering curses under his breath, he pocketed his wand and left. Albus did not lower his wand until the door of the office was shut and locked.

"Minerva?" he said gently, stowing his wand in his robes. The witch was gripping the edge of her desk so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. For a few moments she did nothing, and then she burst into tears.

"So there you have it, Albus," she sobbed. "Now you've met my father, and you've seen how horrible he is, and, oh, I imagine that now you'll want to completely disassociate yourself from me, and I don't blame you at all..."

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?" said Albus, dropping down to the side of her chair. "Minerva, dear, look at me. "He put his hand gently under her chin and turned her tear-stained face towards his own. "Nothing and no-one in this world or any other world could ever stop me from loving you. And your father is included in that."

Minerva took a few deep breaths, and her sobs subsided into sniffles.
"You really mean that?" she said shakily.

"Would I lie to you?" said Albus, smiling warmly. "Now, come,
let's go to my office, shall we? I think you need a nice cup of tea in a place where no-one will bother you to calm you down..."

Minerva smiled gratefully. "Sounds lovely," she said, allowing her husband to escort her out of her office.

so let me know what you all think.

[bethj4013]

Wow that is good I can't wait to read more

[Junora]

OMG what a father, Himmel Herrgott,

your story is wonderful, please write more. XD

[gryffindorprincess]

I cannot wait to read more I love this. Please update soon.

[Mrs Edward Cullen]

hey thanks to you all. i don't really have time to put any more of this story up. but if you want to know the ending the whole story is up on fanfiction.net

[jkamd18]

lOVED IT! IT WAS SWEET!